Chiaroscuro
by hannah askance
Summary: SasuHina, AU. He wondered if being able to see his eyes would scare her away or fascinate her.
1. Chapter 1

No one was quite sure of what exactly happened in the accident which had taken the lives of Uchiha Fugaku and his wife Mikoto. The story was quite famous, and for a while it was the only thing aired on the news and printed in the headlines.

The car they had been driving in was a private black sedan; what make and type, no one quite knew. The passengers were Fugaku, Mikoto and their youngest son Sasuke, not including the chauffeur. The sixteenth of August, they had been on the way home from a formal birthday celebration – of the well-known Uchiha company's CEO, Uchiha Fugaku himself, in fact.

The vehicle that had so effectively crushed the smaller car was a large truck, the driver of which could not be found.

Yet the highlight of public interest and speculation was not the tragedy itself, but rather what came after. The eldest son Uchiha Itachi's whereabouts could not be traced, and Sasuke, the only survivor of the crash, refused to show himself to the public.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke's reluctance to go public fed the rumor mill.

It was possible, they said, that he was affected physically – scarred, handicapped, etc. – so much that he was too embarrassed to show himself.

Others speculated on the disappearance of his older brother.

No one could blame them. Even an idiot could have figured out that it was Uchiha Itachi who had done the deed.

* * *

Sasuke was not stupid. He had been one of the first to deduce that his own brother had killed their parents. He also knew what kind of nonsense the outside world (read: media) had been spouting about him.

But there is a saying that where there is smoke, there is sure to be fire. The rumors must have had some basis. No amount of money could have had completely repressed something like this.

The people who had visited Sasuke, and was therefore present when he first gained consciousness after the incident, could testify to that. The second he had opened his eyes, he had shocked them all.

And still, years later, none of his doctors could explain why as of that day, Uchiha Sasuke's eyes were _red_.

* * *

Going back to school was not an option.

When Itachi had gone missing, Sasuke had legally become the inheritor to the company. And when _his_ eyes had turned vermillion, it was the company's way of saving face.

Oh, they said it was to protect him from any possible future assaults. He wasn't naïve enough to believe _that_.

Since Sasuke still needed to finish his education, they hired people to tutor him at home. They usually never lasted much longer than a month at a time. Sasuke either got fed up of them – it wasn't his fault the females got too clingy – or they were scared away by his eyes. The company even paid for therapists for some of them.

Sasuke's eyes, they told their counselors, had this air about them. At first they just stunned you because they could look haunted and yet devoid of anything at all, but day after day after day of being looked at by those eyes gave you a certain paranoia. After the first week you could feel the heat – or severe lack thereof – of his stares, and by the second week you were sick and tired of flinching every time you saw that shade of red – in the traffic lights, in tomato sauce, in _blood_. And when that torturous month was over, you saw those eyes and their desolation _everywhere you went_.

_You know what that feeling's like when something's watching you wherever you go?_ they asked their counselors, their voice painted with some sort of helpless desperation. _Yeah, it's like that._

* * *

Enough was enough.

Too many teachers had quit, they said. The media was picking up on it. They couldn't afford another disaster like Itachi.

Well, Sasuke had wondered when they were going to stop the 'we're-imprisoning-you-so-you-won't-shame-us' charade.

He hadn't, however, expected someone like her to show up when they told him this was the last tutor they would ever hire.

"_Konnichiwa_." Light, demure. She bowed. He couldn't help noticing how fluidly practiced the formal gesture was. "I am Hyuuga Hinata."

He carefully looked at her. "Uchiha… Sasuke."

It was a little amusing when she slightly started at his voice, because he could tell that she had been expecting it and yet was still surprised.

"A-ah, hai, Uchiha-san. I will be your teacher from now on. I look forward to… working with you."

She met his gaze equally, her eyes rooting him to the spot.

They told him later.

Her eyes…

"_She is blind, Sasuke."_

_

* * *

_

_I like this pairing. I don't know why - there's just something to it that draws me...  
_

_Yes, I'm aware they have never even met in the series. It's called **fanfiction** for a reason._

_Suggestions and critiques are always welcome. :)_

-the feather quill


	2. Chapter 2

"…How old are you, Hyuuga?"

"E-eh?" She ran her hand over the last Braille characters on the page before removing it from the book. "I am… I am seventeen, Uchiha-san. Why do you ask?"

Sasuke's hands clasped together and he leaned forward, looking at her intently. Judging from the way her index fingers were prodding each other and her slightly pink face, she could probably feel his stare.

"U-Uchiha… Uchiha-san?"

Oh, and not to forget her sudden stuttering.

"Why," he began softly, "aren't you in school?"

Her fingers stopped in motion and her hands slowly lowered to rest on her thighs. Mixed emotions inadvertently crossed her face – surprise, confusion, thoughtfulness and pain – and before Sasuke knew it, her expression had already been carefully crafted into a vacant stare. Her head looked roughly toward his voice.

"I… do not see how that concerns you."

Sasuke was nothing if not surprised – the few days in which he'd known her was enough for him to understand that she was generally warm, gentle, _meek_. So much so that he labeled her as weak.

_You hypocrite._

"The Hyuuga are… _rivals_… to the Uchiha," he said quietly. "What is a Hyuuga doing tutoring an Uchiha?"

Still silent, she had gone stiff. They continued in this manner for several minutes – he didn't bother counting – with Sasuke concentrating on her, while she gazed off into space blankly.

She was the first to break the silence. "I think… that will be enough for today." She stood up, stacking her books, and putting them in her bag. "We'll continue this tomorrow, Uchiha-san."

He was too stunned and too deep in thought to do anything as she swung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door.

* * *

Hyuuga Hinata had been somewhat of a mystery to him when he first met her.

She was of the Hyuuga family – that much was apparent from her family name, and the fact that her hair was an intense blue-black and her eyes were ghostly pale reinforced this statement. She usually spoke formally and demurely, and the one time she had dinner in the Uchiha residence, her manners were unfailingly impeccable.

The Hyuuga had always had clashes with the Uchiha. It was universally acknowledged. Not only were their industries equally large, any attempts to best each other were always equally matched.

Knowing the above facts, it was a puzzle as to why _Hyuuga_ Hinata would ever agree to teach _Uchiha_ Sasuke.

And then there was her warm disposition.

If anything, the Hyuuga were renowned for their cold, far-superior-to-thou attitude. Even though Hinata had the etiquette of a Hyuuga, she – as a person – was completely different to one. If a Hyuuga would scorn and turn away a beggar, Hinata would give them her lunch. That was enough to make people wonder whether she really was from _the_ Hyuuga family, but their previous conversation had made it clear to Sasuke that she was, indeed, a Hyuuga.

Her blindness was also something Sasuke had wondered about.

Hinata still occasionally got lost in the Uchiha residence, but the way she walked told him that she had full confidence in her steps, although she never used a stick or a guide animal. That was probably true as well, seeing as how he had never seen her collide with a wall, and yet… there was no doubt that the world was dark to her eyes. When he asked _them_, they confirmed that she was, indeed, blind, and had the tests to prove it.

It was as if she could sense where the walls were.

_Come to think of it…_

When she walked out of the room, she had known exactly where the door was.

* * *

Sasuke had no idea how he could have fallen asleep.

The next day Hinata had showed up, smiling with a certain edge that told him that although she was acting like she usually did, yesterday's conversation was not forgotten. She had all but shoved him a book and gave sufficient time for him to read a few passages.

One minute he had been nestled in a cushion in the library, reading the book, and the next, his senses were overwhelmed.

Suddenly, he could hear the screeching tires, see the frantic way the driver pressed the brake pedal over and over, and then register the sound of the shattering window. He had closed his eyes. He felt pain, and he assumed it was the glass which had seared onto his face. He could feel how the panic, the _fear_ – for his parents, but above all for _himself_ – clawed and scratched its way up his throat, how the frantic instinct for life took over as he tried to kick the passenger door open, but failed.

Everything was so vivid.

And then he had taken advantage of the broken window, smashing it some more with his arms until he could fit through it, accidentally catching a glimpse of his parents' lifeless figures as he got out, the numbness setting in…

_Weakling._

"Uchiha-san!"

He woke up, feeling oddly breathless. "What…" Unable to finish his sentence due to the shortness of his breath, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

Hinata's eyes were riddled with concern. "Are you all right, Uchiha-san?"

Sitting up, he suddenly noticed a particularly frayed section on her jacket. Strange that something so trivial captured his attention.

_Hang on._

"…Uchiha-san?"

"Hyuuga," he looked at her fixedly, "what happened to your crest?"

Even without her answer or sudden rigidity, he knew it had been ripped off from her sleeve.

* - * - *

_I love you all. I really do. (beams like there's no tomorrow) Thank you so much for all the reviews. I'll try to get back as soon as I can, because FF is simply not cooperating right now. (Hmm... for instance, have you noticed the proper page breaks are missing here?)_

Speaking of which, I tried to get this chapter up on the site for the last two days, but again - it wouldn't cooperate, so I got mad and did a hissy fit and all. I'm not too satisfied with how it turned out, but it seemed to want to stick this way so I gave in. Sorry if it sucks. (sighs)

Critiques and suggestions are, as always, a lot more than welcome. :D

Thanks again!

  
-the feather quill 


	3. Chapter 3

"_What… will you do now… onee-san?"_

"…_Whatever I must."_

_

* * *

_Hinata _had_ been born blind, but she had also been born a Hyuuga, a privilege her father had certainly used to their advantage, although he would not consent to a surgery of any kind – it would have attracted too much unwanted attention, he had said, and Hinata's eyes would be the one and only proof to her heritage she would need. She did, however, receive the latest assistant technology and one of the best teachers to educate her at home – a stern, but kind, woman Hinata grew to know fondly as Kurenai-sensei.

It was no secret in the upper family branches that Hinata, as the eldest, was a disappointment to Hiashi. True to her name, Hinata had never been one who could successfully quell or suppress her emotions, which made her unsuitable to lead the Hyuuga name as she was expected to. There were whispers of her being replaced by her younger sister, who seemed far more capable, and that it would be the first time in the history of the Hyuuga that this would ever happen. Many anticipated that a battle would soon take place between the sisters.

…Well, at least they were right about one thing.

* * *

"Uchiha-san." What had been the face of concern was now the epitome of Hyuuga perfection – an almost-emotionless mask, fused with a cold, blank gaze.

Sasuke did not bother to heed her subtle warning. "Why aren't you wearing your crest, Hyuuga?" he repeated.

Hinata refused to answer, her head hung, straight locks shielding her face from view. Sasuke thought he could faintly sense the thoughts brought up and thrown around in her head.

Suddenly, he understood. He could not fathom how it could not have registered sooner.

Hyuuga Hinata _was_ too kind, too sweet, too gentle to be a Hyuuga.

Hyuuga Hinata wasn't _Hyuuga_ Hinata. She would simply be known as Hinata to him from that day onwards, because–

"You've been disowned."

* * *

"_You don't have to do this, you know."_

"_If I don't, you know what the elders will do. I refuse to be used in this way."_

_Her eyes softened. "Otou-sama's wrong. You would steer the Hyuuga in the correct direction."_

_She could only smile, somewhat sadly, at her younger sister. "No, Hanabi. __**You**__ will steer the Hyuuga in the correct direction."_

_Hanabi broke down. "If only… I still can't believe that Byakugan is real. It was just a myth! I wish… I wish it never existed. I want you to stay, onee-san!" In that moment, Hanabi felt like she was but a small child all over again, had lost her mother all over again – only this time her sister was leaving her, too._

_Oh, Hanabi. Where had her strong sister disappeared to? Hinata couldn't help but cry as well._

* * *

Hinata's hands clenched fistfuls of cloth.

"I am _anything_ but disowned, Uchiha-san."

Sasuke looked at her coolly. "Then how come–"

"–I'm not wearing the Hyuuga crest?" She looked up, her eyes fierce. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I tore it out myself."

* * *

The _Byakugan_ – literally, white eyes. An old myth, a famous, bedtime story of sorts passed down in the Hyuuga family from generation to generation. Most everyone knew the story, and Hinata and Hanabi were not exceptions.

A story that told of an age where many kinds of men lived, alongside gods, goddesses, and talking animals. It was a story which told of a family with pale, ghostly eyes, all of which were said to be able to pierce through any being's soul to see their life essence, named _chakra_. Their vision enabled them to kill a strong, able man by a single touch, and it was for this ability that they were revered in their village. The family steadily grew in number and prospered as the village flourished into a would-be town.

It was at this point that the story became unclear in details, details which were probably lost in decades of storytelling. Somewhere along the way, someone had done something wrong, leading to a series of events which concluded in the family's unique sight taken away, presumably by the gods. By this time, however, they were too large to be called a family – a _clan_ fitted them more – and they had established their name in such a way that the townspeople continued to respect them greatly. Time passed, and although the townspeople's memory of the white eyes faded, the family had never forgotten.

That family was named the Hyuuga.

As if the story had refused to end there, it threw in another twist into the mix – a girl in the family named Hinata, for some reason, had now inherited the Byakugan after the long absence of its presence.

* * *

Two years ago, there was also a great muck of commotion and buzz in the media.

The Hyuuga heiress had run away.

Hinata's disappearance had caused a great uproar – not to mention, a great deal of _scandal_ – in the Hyuuga family. Many spoke her name with disdain, throwing out remarks that they had known all along something like this would happen, that Hinata had never been fit to be heiress in the first place. Talk like this was often silenced by Hanabi's deadly glares and silences to match their childish prattling.

Needless to say, Hiashi had been utterly _thunderstruck_ to have learned that Hinata had disappeared from her quarters and had not returned for a week. He had rushed back to the main family's mansion to confirm that indeed it was _Hinata_, the daughter he had deemed meek and spineless, who had run away. Disappointment had laced his chest, and for days he had insulted her subtly until Hanabi spit out in one dinner that he had no right to soil her sister's name if he didn't know the reason she had left.

This had puzzled Hiashi enough to conduct his own private investigations by himself, and although it took him about a year to finally find out, what he did learn shocked him even more.

Not for the first time, nor probably the last, Hiashi felt overwhelming pride for his eldest.

* * *

_(sigh) I would apologize for how long it's taken me to update. I have to squeeze the time in between school and life, and finally being able to update - although it's taken a lot out of me just typing this chapter - gives me some sort of satisfaction of finally being able to do something that I want to._

_This one's for all other IB-ers who are feeling the pressure and are procrastinating on . :)  
_

_Also, about reviews. I'll try to get back to reviews I haven't replied to yet, but I've lost track of which ones I've actually replied to or I haven't, so if you would like a reply or I haven't replied, please state so in your reviews._

_And, as always, criticism is warmly appreciated._

- the feather quill

Kat - Thank you, I'm so glad you liked it. It's awfully awesome to have someone say it's 'intriguing'. :) At which point I have to say that you must absolutely read **Lanse**'s _Ikigai_. Her portrayal of Sasuke, Hinata (blind, so therefore intriguing XD) and their relationship is just... Well. Just read it.

Broken-Heart-Parade - Makasih banyaaak. SasuHina was one of the reasons I liked the second Shippuden movie so much, haha. Thanks lagi ya!


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